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Police Revisit Area Where North Port Mom's Body Found

Sarasota Herald Tribune photo by JASON McKIBBEN

Nathaniel Lee holds his youngest son, Adam, during a news conference on Sunday. Authorities announced that the body of Lee's wife, Denise Amber, had been found

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By Josh Poltilove of The Tampa Tribune and Rod Challenger of News Channel 8

Published: January 21, 2008

Updated: 01/21/2008 05:55 pm

NORTH PORT - Law enforcement officers went back to the scene today where they found 21-year-old Denise Amber Lee's body, searching for evidence possibly linking her slaying to a 36-year-old man charged with her kidnapping.

North Port police say they are not ready to charge Michael King in the killing.

"Our suspect is in jail and there's a lot of issues that still need to be resolved, a lot of evidence that needs to be looked at," North Port police Chief Terry Lewis said.

Sarasota County deputies lowed the water level in a small pond close to the where they found Lee's body Saturday. They searched with metal detectors.

Police have yet to find a connection or reason for her abduction.

"It appears to be an absolute random act of pure evil," Lewis said.

Meanwhile, funeral arrangements have been made for Denise Amber Lee.

Services will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday at First United Methodist Church in Punta Gorda. Lee's burial will be at Gulf Pines Memorial Park in Englewood.

Lee, the 21-year-old daughter of Charlotte County sheriff's Sgt. Richard Goff, was found in a shallow grave in Sarasota County.

Lee became the subject of a search that had involved up to 300 people, mostly law enforcement officers, in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties.

Family and friends will gather from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Lemon Bay Funeral Home Englewood Chapel.

Lee, a mother of two, graduated magna cum laude from Lemon Bay High School in 2004, according to the funeral home. She was married in August 2005 in Punta Gorda.

Memorial donations may be made to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office, in care of the Denise Amber Lee Memorial Fund, 7474 Utilities Road, Punta Gorda FL 33982.

Reporter Josh Poltilove can be reached at jpoltilove@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7691.

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